The effect of soil tillage and fertilizer use on pearl millet yields in Niger |
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Authors: | C B Christianson A Bationo W E Baethgen |
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Institution: | (1) Agro-Economic Division and IFDC-West Africa Divisions, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), P.O. Box 2040, 35662 Muscle Shoals, AL, USA |
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Abstract: | Farmers in Niger generally do not plow their fields and are therefore unable to incorporate phosphate. Experiments were conducted
in Niger to assess the effect of soil tillage, P source, and fertilizer placement on yields of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.] R. Br.). Treatments included single superphosphate (SSP) or ground Tahoua phosphate rock (PRT) incorporated into the
soil during tillage or SSP surface applied after tillage. In plots which were not tilled, P sources (SSP, PRT, and PAPR-partially
acidulated rock) were broadcast on the soil surface with no incorporation. In order to improve P efficiency under zero tillage,
P was point placed in the soil near the plant with either broadcast or point-placed urea. Treatments in which tillage was
used showed a slight though nonsignificant yield increase over untilled plots. The yield increase did not appear to be due
to phosphate incorporation but rather to direct tillage effects on early plant growth. In a comparison of SSP with PRT or
PAPR broadcast on soils not receiving tillage, PRT performed poorly relative to the other P sources. SSP outyielded PAPR and
PRT in 1986, but in subsequent years, no significant difference was found between PAPR and SSP. Point placement of P or N
near the plant did not significantly increase yields over broadcast treatments even though the millet was planted with wide
1×1 m spacing. |
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Keywords: | millet Niger partially acidulated phosphate rock phosphorus placement phosphate rock tillage |
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